By now the weather should be great. Tasks in the garden should be met with a cheer rather than with a groan. Listed below are jobs requiring attention this month. However, most of all, now is the time to entertain and enjoy the garden.

Not a great deal to do in the flower borders in July. If you forgot to stake those taller growing perennials then you must do it now.

Remember you can get some really heavy thundery showers in July that would ruin those taller weak stems. Dead head the blooms of flowers that have gone over. This has several benefits; one would be the border looks tidy, secondly, sometimes this will actually promote more flowers and finally it helps the plant maintain a good structure and prevent disease. One exception to this rule would be Roses that produce attractive hips.

Finally, if not all ready done, mulching the borders will help keep the weeds down, but more importantly holds in the moisture for the hot spells to come. Don’t forget to prune spring shrubs like Philadelphus and Weigela after flowering so you promote good flowering again next year.

Vegetable and Fruit Gardens

The vegetable garden at this time of year is easy, keep hoeing the weeds, keep it watered in the dry spells, carry on with the feeds but most of all enjoy what you harvest. You deserve it.

Make sure you keep fruit trees and bushes well watered so they develop good sized succulent fruits. Once the fruits are ready to harvest do so in earnest and enjoy. Don’t leave them there for the birds to enjoy! Sometimes it's a good idea, where possible, to protect ripening fruits with netting.

Thin apples after the June drop if still over crowded. Remove the central, king or blemished fruits. Continue to support blackberry runners to your frames, this will make pruning easier later in the year.

Lawns

Remember to keep mowing regularly, however if the weather turns really dry, the rate of growth slows down and it might be a good idea to raise the cut on your mower. This helps the lawn retain moisture.

If you didn’t give your lawn a spring feed this is your last chance to put on a summer one.

When laying turf remember to water twice a day, especially during dry spells and especially on the edges of the roll.

Patio and Greenhouse Gardening

If your shading is not yet sorted, do it this month. Dampen down the floors daily and keep the glasshouse well ventilated. Water freely during hot spells, but do this early morning or late at night.

Good housekeeping in the glasshouse will help prevent any fungal diseases.

It is also a good idea to put houseplants outside on sunny days, give them protection from direct sun and strong winds.

General Tasks

Watering and weeding. It is always best to spray weeds when they are actively growing. Use a weedkiller that contains Glyphosate, as this kills the roots as well. This is good on large areas but in your borders it will probably best to dig out.

Watch out for pest and disease problems, some common ones are Red Spider on glasshouse and conservatory plants, powdery mildews, black spot on Roses, Clematis wilt, caterpillars of the codling moth, mealy bugs and aphids.

Plants of the Month

A selection of plants that are especially interesting this month.

• Hemerocallis
• Deschampsia
• Achillea
• Potentillas
• Digitalis
• English Roses
• Penstemons

July is a great month to be in the garden, and if you’re looking for ideas or a bit of inspiration visit us at Redfields where our staff can help you with all of the above and MUCH MORE.